Catching an alligator

If someone asked about swamp people only a year ago, few would have answered correctly. But this is the name of a reality show running for the past one year on History Channel. Judging by its popularity, Swamp People, that shows day to day activities of Cajun people living in a large swampy area in Louisiana, it is not surprising that more and more people are interested in activities like catching an alligator today than their were only a few years ago.

It is really amazing to see people doing something unheard off to make a living. Yes, there are Cajun people who hunt alligators in an area that is thousands of kilometers long for a living. It is a fact that one cannot go on hunting alligators just for the fun part though it is true that catching an alligator is one of the most thrilling and exciting activities that only brave heart can indulge in. If you have watched the show closely, hunters have themselves admitted on camera that they make half of their yearly income by hunting alligators in just one month of alligator hunting season in Louisiana. However, alligator hunting is not a profession per se, nor is it a way to make a living by American standards. It would be better to describe it as an adventurous activity that has become a way of life for some and lures many more to its fold.

Alligator, a fearless predator for such a long time period, finally succumbed to reckless hunting by humans, and it was not surprising that their numbers dwindled in nearly all parts of the world, including the huge marshy land of Louisiana. The Cajun people, who were dependent upon alligator hunting for centuries put a brake on their hunting when authorities insisted and the results are amazing. Alligators in the swamp are back to their normal population. And with it has started the act, or should we say the thrilling activity of hunting alligators, though in a limited manner.

Times have changed, and alligator population in Florida, especially in the Louisiana has grown to numbers that allow hunting of alligators. Authorities are allowing hunting of alligators and even granting licenses for the purpose to residents of the state. While this license is available for just 272 USD for the residents of Florida, outsiders too can have it for around a thousand dollars.

Catching an alligator is a thrilling, adventurous exercise that needs courage, planning, and team work apart from buying the right gear that is being sold in shops around the country. Once a team catches an alligator, it fetches money as almost all parts of an alligator are bought by people. Alligator hides sell for a very high amount, and this makes many Cajun people hunt alligators illegally though obtaining a license for alligator hunting is very easy these days.

Alligator hunting is being allowed, but this does not mean that its illegal poaching will be tolerated by the authorities as killing all sorts of alligators without paying heed to instructions of the authorities may lead to penalties instead of an enriching and rewarding experience.

To learn more about Swamp People on History Channel Click Here